A/N: Hey guys, it's the next chapter again, and like last chapter, not really enough reviews. Aside from the guest review, all I will say is log into you account all damn ready, will ya? I can't respond to reviews like that unless you are logged in with PM's made available to you. YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE! And now onto the disclaimer...
DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own any franchise used or referenced in this fic. This story is the continuation of an AU fic written based off of Marcus Galen Sands' own fanfic 'God Slaying Blade Works', and uses a meshing of canon lore in a manner that makes sense, references to other franchises and fanfics credited as used, and my own original ideas thrown into the mix every now and then. This story is a FREE FANFIC of a FANFIC, meaning an UNPAID FAN-MADE FICTION of a FAN-MADE FICTION that I wrote for ABSOLUTELY NUDDIN'. If you paid to read it, then you got ripped off. And if you do not like it, then you do not have to read it. Nobody is making you.
Before I start, If you listen to the song 'Infinity ≠ Zero' by Nano, you'll understand the pace of the story, as it was what I listened to on repeat while writing this chapter and the later part of last chapter.
And now...
STORY START:
World Travels of the King of Wrought Iron: Shirou's Parallel World Adventures
Second World: Iron Daemon in the Ninja World-First Jaunt, Part II
Oto's Invasion of Konoha
Near Konoha's Gates
Shirou P.O.V.
After I took out the little swallow who thought himself so above me as to be incapable of dying by my blades, the insulting bastard left this world after leading me on a merry chase right to the gates of the village. I was right near the front lines, and people were dying left and right, all because of these enemy ninja. This was not going to stand. I will NOT allow them free reign any further than this!
Summoning my two swords I developed in recent years, I called forth from within my inner world my two best swords. If [Excalibur] is my strongest sword, if [Emiya Muramasa] was my sharpest and fastest, if [Basilleus] was my most powerful, then these two were my absolute best. They were the Dual Origin Swords...
In my left hand was a single-edged, one-handed, and bone-white sword in the form of a shorter katana, like a longer wakizashi of about two and a half feet in length. It was wrapped in a pure snow-white clothe around the handle and hilted with a simple crescent shaped hand guard and had a simple pommel with a snow-white tassel in the form of a simple cloth trailing behind me. There were no ornaments or decorations aside from an engraving of its name on the blade...the White Father Sword…
In my right was a mirror image of the one in my left, only this one was an Azure sword like the blue of the sky, and looked a bit ragged in comparison, with a somewhat shorter length of about six inches. Like its counterpart, it had a hilt, but shaped like a full circle for its hand guard, and had a slight tassel in the form of a small length of pale blue silk-like cloth just like its counterpart. And it too had its name engraved into the blade for all to see...the Azure Son Sword…
"[Shirou] and [Sora]!"
As these dual swords manifested and were wielded, the enemy and defending ninja got a view of swordplay they'd never forget, as a ghostly image of my own son overlain over my own form as I moved just like he would have with these two swords. The value of these two swords are more than simply appearances or technique with which either Sora or I wielded them; their significance lies in the fact he and I both fought exactly the same whenever we used them. A style known only between a father and his son.
Charging into the fray after conjuring these two swords that mean far more to me than any other in my arsenal, I also traced other weapons that launched at every enemy before me in my path where none could pass. It was an utter kill zone I set up where no enemies could pass unless I let them pass. I even drew a line with [Sora] just inside the breach in the village walls when I arrived to prove a point and send a message they received loud and clear.
Cross this line, and your life is forfeit.
When Sora was born, these swords appeared in my inner world, and later was revealed he too had these same swords within his inherited Reality Marble we shared between us. For me, they represented the symbolism of my care for my son, as well as what he meant to me for the future. He was to be my successor when I was to step down from my position or became incapable for any reason of fulfilling my duty as the Head of the Wrought Iron Forge.
To Sora, they represented the father's love for his son and the all-giving care he received to carefully raise him to eventually succeed his father. To us both, these two weapons are by far of all the weapons in the [Unlimited Blade Works] our best and personal favorites, without any question. They were conceptual weapons that embodied both our shared origin of 'sword' as well as our philosophy and ideals. My namesake sword is ultimately the more lethal of the two, but my sons is by far the stronger, much to my pride, as both a blacksmith and a father. While my sword is capable of killing even the unkillable by cutting them down regardless of any protections they may face against, Sora's is able to use every technique of every sword stored within the shared inner world that is our soul.
As the invading forces pushed forth, the defending Konoha shinobi fought back tooth and nail, for every inch the invaders took, they paid for every time in blood. The Konoha shinobi were stalling for time, trying to buy time to evacuate their civilians to safety, but they'd have a hell of a time with how many enemy ninja they had to deal with on their own, so I end them my blades for the time being. White and Azure steel gleaming in a stream of unstoppable and relentless flurry of blades.
Carving through enemy ninja after enemy ninja, one after another, back to back, I pushed forward to the front lines, all the while dodging, weaving, and outright slicing every enemy down in my path I carved in blood as I passed them. Every ninjutsu thrown my way I split and cut in two. Every enemy who rushed me in close quarters I halved and cleaved to death. I was an unstoppable force, immovable unless I wished to be, and something no one could stop in fear of meeting death at my blade if they tried. Never stopping for a moment, never hesitating for a second, I pushed forth into the thick of it to lend my aid to Konoha's defense.
Running up while continuing my blade dance of death right to the Konoha ninja being pushed back, I rush forth, brandishing [Shirou] and [Sora] in a whirling dervish of death and unbending steel as I never wavered, never yielded, and never backed down to anything the attackers launched my way as I assisted in pushing them back. Even the enemy's ninjustsu couldn't bring me to heel as I just cut them apart no differently than I did the enemy who tried to move past me. These bastards had no qualms targeting defenseless women and children; they'd get no mercy from me.
For the next hour or so, it may have been shorter, it may have been longer, but by this point I had long since stopped counting or caring for the time it took, I assisted the defenders in holding the line and keeping the attacking enemies back as they attempted their advance long enough to aid in the evacuations. But not long after the evacuations were near being finally finished, the enemy ranks had begun to thin out in a suspiciously easily gained retreat…
*WHUD-BOOOOM*
"WHAT THE FUCKING HELL IS THAT?!"
...and a massive pair of snakes each the size of a Root-damned freight train three times over suddenly bulldozed right through the walls and the number of enemies surged on the surroundings behind them. I didn't answer the ninja next to me as his shout of alarm at the unexpected enemy before us. As the enemy ninja began to pour through the forced opening, the other defending forces diverted their attempts to halt the enemies to the death, even as they were being torn apart by the Giant snakes in a futile attempt to halt their advance.
Smirking as I sensed someone planning to take one of the over-sized reptiles out, I suddenly decided to make a point to these bastards, stabbing [Shirou] and [Sora] into the ground point-first as I conjured my most destructive sword. Gripping the handle of a sword that is yet to exist, above me a single sword manifested, then twenty swords, then hundreds, thousands, countless swords manifested and then coalesced into the one formed into my hands.
This one, just like my Dual Origin Swords, is a conceptual weapon I made as the compressed form of my reality marble. It is every sword within the [Unlimited Blade Works] manifested and compressed into a single weapon that with a single swing gives the gathered force of every weapon at my disposal all at once. It is a conceptual weapon that embodies the very essence of 'sword' in a form that best manifests its definition as a weapon of war and a tool of bringing death and destruction...and the second it finishes forming I bring it down upon the other snake before me and all the nearby enemies with it...the One Sword…
Scene Change
Third-person P.O.V.
Morino Ibiki was having a hell of a time trying to keep the front lines from collapsing any further than they had already to the Oto and Suna ninja attacking the village of Konoha. He rallied his troops as best he could, and got rather sporadic reports of a crazy swordsman carving his path through the village on the war path to kill a specific Oto shinobi with a very pissed off look on his face as he chased the poor bastard down.
Based on the description they gave, Ibiki guessed it was probably none other than the very blacksmith he gave the all-clear to just that morning not even a five, six hours ago. He also received word that same blacksmith was carving his way to the front lines and helping in the defense of the village, while shouting along the lines of, and he quotes, 'you bastards wanna murder children so bad, let me ensure your lines ends with you right here,' as he slaughtered them on his way to the front to aid the Konoha defenders.
Ibiki had rather mixed feelings on the matter. On the one hand, it was heartening to hear a complete outsider was giving his utmost to help when he had no reason nor any need to do so. But on the other hand, it was a bit irritating to have an outsider give his help with what was a shinobi matter for Konoha. But Ibiki did have to give the Emiya one thing; he knew how to light a fire under your ass and inspire others to action. That much Ibiki was willing to admit to freely and had to give him, if nothing else.
When Oto summoned a pair of very big Ninja snakes, they were forced back and getting slaughtered even worse than they already were, had Master Jaraiya not suddenly appeared atop a massive ninja toad he summoned to drop right on top of one of them. As the Toad Sage of the Sannin was about to tell off the other snake, though…
"[EMIYA]!"
...a massive sword of fire and steel suddenly appeared, cleaving the other enemy summons in two, along with any unfortunate Oto ninja to be nearby that got caught up in the attack. Blinking dumbstruck at the sight, they could not believe it when they saw who slew it with one strike, and every one of the Konoha ninja felt relief he was on their side, while the surviving Oto and Suna shinobi felt the need to report a 'flee on sight' request for the guy in the future intel reports.
Turning to see where the attack came from, Ibiki and Jaraiya were both shocked by the sight of Shirou, his body crackling electric-fire as he exhaled a breathy acrid smoke, his hands wielding the dissipating handle of the sword he slashed down to carve a literal path through both the enemy line and a clean path through the forests beyond for at least a few hundred meters where the enemy was coming from. Satisfied with the message he got across to them, he picked both [Shirou] and [Sora] back up to continue dealing with the forces of Oto who dared to continue their assault against his power backing up Konoha's defenders.
With a silent nod of appreciation for his aid and for his part, the two continued the clean-up operation of dealing with the enemy while silently grateful he was on their side and contemplating potential threat level the guy would have after all this. The situation would be resolved in a few hours, but the losses sustained by Konoha, despite nowhere near as bad as Suna's and Oto's were in terms of number dead, was more severe with the lose of Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Sondaime Hokage, as a heavy blow that would not be so easy to recover from…
Scene Change
Funeral for the fallen of Konoha
Shirou P.O.V.
After the attack upon Konoha, the enemy shinobi from Sunagakure who attacked alongside the ones from Oto, which I learned was who that little swallow was one of, came forward with a proposition of an unconditional surrender on their part when they found their Kazekage dead, and had been days before the attack was even planned. It was revealed they'd been tricked into taking part of this by a wanted criminal who founded the Oto village for the sole purpose of destroying Konoha because he was refused the position of Hokage.
When I heard the full story between this 'Orochimaru' and the Sondaime Hokage, I was honestly feeling the urge to throttle the guy for his childishness. Throwing what was tantamount to a tantrum like a little toddler and becoming a dangerous criminal wanted for treason, all because he didn't get what he wanted? I might not be in any position to say this, but even if it makes me a hypocrite, I don't care. He's a fucking selfish bastard.
I am selfish too in my desire to help others, but at least my selfishness is geared towards the happiness of others more than my own desires or needs. Simply put, I am selfishly selfless, while this bastard is just plain selfish and a total man-child in his bratty little temper tantrum. When I said this and told them what I felt about the matter, Ibiki actually smirked a ghost of a smile while the other member of the Sannin present, Master Jaraiya, actually smiled and openly laughed his ass off at my description of his former teammate's actions and criminal past as I had summed it up in a pretty accurate way.
After a few days of dealing with the aftermath of the invasion, I dressed up in a black dress suit. It was the same style as my Old Man's. A black trench coat, black tie, black dress shirt, black dress pants, black shoes, with my white mantle on top of my shoulders and [Shroud of Martin] wrapped around my left arm beneath the sleeve. As the proceedings began to start finishing up, I walked up to the picture for the Sondaime Hokage, the late Lord Sarutobi Hiruzen, with a short sword sheathed in my hand as I looked at his image in sadness alongside the other offerings made to the late leader of this village.
Without a word and in front of all gathered to witness, I take the sword from it's sheathe, placing it and the drawn blade before his image, as if in offering to the departed men's souls, and revealed the short sword to be a custom-forged ninjato with an unusually shaped blade designed to be somewhat different. The blade itself was a bit thicker than a standard ninjato was, had a somewhat wider flat edge from the front to back, and on both sides was an engraving. On one side was the kanji for 'fire', and the other side was the kanji for 'will'.
The blade was a ceremonial weapon, but could be used in a pinch as a fully functional weapon if the need arises in an emergency, as per shinobi custom to prepare for anything. Given the name of this blade, and the significance of it to the residents of this village, I felt it appropriate to name this blade as such...
...[Ishihinokage], the Will of the Fire Shadow.
After offering my blade to the memorial photo of Sarutobi Hiruzen, I make my way out of the village with the intention of trying to leave for my travels and continue my journey. As I walked away, though, I caught whispers of the villagers referring to me as the 'Iron Daemon' for what I did during the Oto Invasion by Orochimaru. I simply ignored the looks and talks, but as I left, I could feel the fact I was being followed...by Anbu no less. Sighing deeply as I pretended not to notice, I kept walking.
Eventually I got to the outskirts of Konoha's border and was literally about one step away from exiting the Land of Fire in its entirety when I had enough. "You know it's very rude to follow somebody like you are and keep watching them without even bothering to properly introduce yourself. So stop stalking me and come out. NOW." I say as I turn around, making it clear I do not appreciate being followed as I have been.
What I saw was both s I expected and not as I expected. It was a group of Anbu, but these ones were slightly different from the ones I've seen at the village. Then there was the old man traveling with them. He was obviously about the recently deceased Lord Sarutobi's age, but this guy also had bandages wrapped around his entire right eye and arm, as if badly injured or permanently crippled, but I wasn't fooled in the slightest.
One look at the cane he was carrying was enough; this old man was dangerous. It held a concealed blade within it, modified from an old ninjato wielded in his prime, modified into a cane for walking around as a ploy to throw people off with how physically fit he really is. The history of that blade...suffice to say, for someone who claims to act for the sake of Konoha, he sure don't set a very good precedent for someone supposedly loyal. The old vulture of a war hawk simply smiles slightly at my response, but I wasn't fooled…
"Impressive perceptiveness. It would seem that the Iron Daemon is truly no slouch at all. I-"
"Get lost. I'm not interested in your power-hungry attempts to take power for something that completely goes against the teachings of your master."
He froze, not expecting my response at all. My frown doesn't change in the slightest, yet he keeps up the nice guy act. "I am afraid I don't know what you-"
"Don't play dumb with me. I know all I need to know about someone just by looking at their blade, and yours is very telling in just how many crimes against your own village you've committed."
"I don't ha-" I cut him off again, not in the mood for his bullshit.
"You're cane is a hidden blade that was modified from your old Anbu ninjato. It classifies as a blade more than enough for me to know every thing you did, including the failed attempt to make Hanzo the Salamander aid you in overthrowing the Sondaime Hokage for the seat of power, only for the scapegoat you tried to offer of Master Jaraiya's disciples from the Land of Rain to turn the tables and ruin your plan before being massacred by your plot, you greedy, power-hungry bastard."
I don't get any further attempts to speak from the guy, the next thing that happens, he tries to kill me to silence me from spilling the beans on his past criminal activities. Keyword being 'tries'. He failed, but the old bastard slipped away, though, but not before he sacrificed his own men just to save his own hide. I seriously felt the need to kill him, but unfortunately I don't have either the time nor the chance to. Bastard fled before I could follow where he went.
Sighing in dismay, I continued to leave the Land of Fire, entered another bordering country, and then left to enter another town known for its gambling. It was a casino town, yet I didn't care. I wasn't here to gamble; I needed a drink after what I saw on that old bastard's hidden blade. Entering a pub, I saw yet a pair of women, one heavily drinking while the other was trying to stop her from drinking too much.
Everyone else was avoiding the two by giving them a wide birth, but frankly I didn't care. Sitting nearby, I signaled the barkeep to give me something strong, and a lot of it. The two next to me gave quite the impressive duo, one looked to be a beautiful blonde woman with twin shoulder-length pigtails, an unbelievably stacked rack, wearing a gray sleeveless shirt, dark blue yoga pants, and heels in the form of what I believe are called 'fuck me pumps', with a bright green jacket hanging off the back of her chair with the word 'Gamble' in big bold kanji on the back.
The lady next to her was a woman wearing a black kimono with a light tan colored inside, dark hair and eyes, wearing sandal-strapped heels. In her arms she was holding a...was that a pig wearing a pearl necklace and a dress? Shrugging a bit, I simply began to drink myself as the two were arguing back and forth about whether the blonde should keep drinking or to stop. Eventually, I just had to ask as I could not take the issue of them all but shouting anymore.
"So tell me, what's got a lady like you drinking so heavily this late at night? It's not quite evening yet, but judging by the empty bottles on the counter and the irritated stink-eye look the barkeep's giving you, I'm guessing you've been here most of if not all day."
"Whuzzat? Just why do you care? Whud I do ain't none o' yer business..." The blonde woman slurs while the brunette next to her simply sighs in resignation.
"I know someone in pain when I see it, and you are clearly hurting. You think I don't know pain?" At this I turn to the woman, giving her my full attention, and the two simply see my eyes and freeze almost in reflex by what they see in my eyes. "I was caught up in a fire when I was only seven. Whole town burned to the ground around me, killed over a thousand people, and left me the sole survivor. I lost my parents, my memories, my home, my innocence. I made a new life, met good friends and those I cherished, but got torn from them as they were taken from me by a bastard who I cut down, but was forever separated from them with no way to ever see them ever again. I am the only member of my family in this world. The others are gone, beyond my reach, and I'll never see them alive ever again. My wife. My friends. My children."
At this, I pull out [Sora] from the sheathe it was kept in after my fight with Danzo as I look at it. "My son..." The two's eyes widen at my drawn weapon and the revelation, but I at least have their attention. "You think you're the only one whose suffered lady? Everyone suffers at some point in their life. It's what you do with the suffering that decides whether you're a washed up nobody, or if you are someone worth the time. I am drinking because after I ran into this asshole who tried and failed to kill me, and ran off after abandoning his men to cover his own ass to escape when I already had a real shitty past few days as they followed me nonstop and wouldn't stop following me until I made them stop. I needed a drink after that. I don't drink much, but after all the shit I seen and went through the last few days, I needed it, dammit. What's your excuse?"
The two women and even the barkeep were simply staring at me in disbelief of my story. The blonde simply looked at her full sake cup, grabbed the sake gourd, turned it up and drank directly from the bottle. The brunette next to her simply gaped at me, while the barkeep just gave me a free bottle and told me it was on the house. I still gave the guy a tip, before I flipped the cork off the top of the bottle with a pop in my right hand, lifted it too my lips, and simply gulped the bottle, ignoring the glass the barkeep put in front of me.
All but slamming the bottle on the counter, I then said to the lady again. "Well? Let's hear it. I'm waiting for your excuse as to why you've taken to drinking. 'Cuz if it's anything less painful than what I've gone though and haven't taken to drinking 'til now, then get over it."
"...wait! Who are you?" the brunette asks me as I begin to leave, I simply give her a simple response that may confuse her for now, but she'll understand soon enough.
"I'm just a sword-brained fool from a long line of hammer-swinging idiots people call the Iron Daemon..."
Taking the whole bottle with me, I make sure to pay the barkeep the price for the booze, ignoring his shock at the amount I give the guy, and simply walk out of the bar, passing by a familiar blonde kid and a white-haired old man. I simply ignored them in favor of continuing on my way. After about an hour later. I finish up my bottle and the slight buzz I get passes fairly quickly. It's not that I don't get drunk, I learned; it's just the alcohol is cleansed from my system before it gets time to fully settle thanks to [Avalon]. Storing [Sora] back within the [Gates of Babylon], I continue to find a secluded spot to slash and port to the next world.
I honestly find this world both appealing and messed up at the same time, and while I might come back, I'll leave that up to chance in the future whether or not I do...
A/N: And that's the chapter. To give you guys a quick idea of what [Shirou], [Sora], and [EMIYA] can do and their stats, look up the fic Hold the Heavens by Atlanrom for the general idea for [Shirou] and [Sora]. As for [EMIYA], look up the fic 'the sword magic knight' by king carlos. They are both based off of those weapons in those fics. This world is hereby finished...for now, anyway. Until next chapter, PEACE OUT!
